It hardly seems possible to believe that it is over. And of course the Bush administration still has today, shudder. But tomorrow it really will be. Over.
In the eight years since Bush was "elected," my first child grew from a toddler to a fully self-aware 10 year old. My second child has never known any other President.
Our country was hit by the worst attack on our soil since Pearl Harbor, even though we were warned and warned and warned.
We have watched our leaders rape and pillage the Treasury, spy on us regardless of Constitutional protections, torture. We have seen people who speak of "Christian values" admit to acts which would have even Jesus throwing stones.
I believe in the not so distant future, we will discover a plethora of even worse acts by these persons of no conscience, no shame.
Well, I have felt shame. I have felt shame for my country, my government, myself. We are not those people. And, yes, I thank God that those people are leaving.
What have we left? Hope. A President my children can look up to for the first time in their lives. An administration that will not necessarily succeed in everything they need to accomplish, but will absolutely work as hard as they can and use all of their intellect and empathy to improve all of our lives, not just the lives of the rich and powerful. A President with children the same ages as mine who will be asked by his daughters, what did you to to help? What are you doing about that disaster? Why is that person homeless? How can my friend go to college?
There is no bubble with kids in the house.
Tomorrow, I will be watching. And crying. And thankful. And hopeful. And then the real work begins.
If you can serve today, our National Day of Service, please do. Do it along with the Obamas, along with the Stackhouses, along with the Batsons and the Smiths and the Joneses. Let it be a down payment on the work we will have to all do to get America back to where she belongs.
"We must be the change we want to see in the world." –Gandhi
Be the Change. Change.
Peace.